Horse-detacher



(No Model.)

H. LATSHAW.

HORSE DETAGHER.

No. 397,733. Patented Feb. l2, 1889.

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d UNTTen STATES PATENT FFICE.

HEZEKIAH TIA'lSlIAlV, OF luA'li-XVIA, NFY YORK.

HORSEHDETAGHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,783, dated February12, 1889.

Application filed October 11, 1888. Serial No. 287,797. (No model.)

l running back to within convenient rea-ch of thel driver or otheroccupants of the vehicle, thus providing for the ready detachment of anunruly animal at a moments notice, as will be more fully hereinafter setforth.

The invention has also for its object to provide a simple and automaticholdback that may he attached to the thills or shafts of a vehicle, andwhich will automatically release the holdbaek-ring whenever the tracesare released, as will presently appear.

The invention will be fully understood and appreciated from the annexeddrawin when taken in connection with the following' specitication.

Referring to the lrawings annexed, Figure l represents a plan lview of asingletree provided with niy improved detaching devices; Fig. 2, ahorizontal sectional view through one end ot' the singlet/ree; Fig. 3, aside elevation of a portion of one of the thills provided withmyimproved holdback; Fig. et, a bottom view of the same; Fig. 5, alongitudinal sectional view taken ou the line a: :1c of Fig. 4L; Fig. G,a detail perspective view of the forward end of the locking-slide; lig.7, a detail plan view of the trace-hook lever; and Fig. S, a front viewof the same.

Referring to the d rawin gs by letter, A designates the singletree,provided with the metallic fer-rules or caps B B on its ends. Inhorizontal slots in the ends of these ferrules are pivoted theantomatically-releasing tracehoolcs C. Each trace-hook C is providedwith the enlarged and rounded head a to prevent the premature detachmentof the trace, and the oppositely-projecting outwardly-eurved horns orprojections h l), the forward one of which assists in opening the slotin the end of the trace to permit the same to readily slip off indetaching, and the rear one assists in preventing the trace fromslipping off accidentally. These curved horns also assist or facilitatethe insertion of the hook in the eye or slot in the end of the trace inhitching up. Formed on the rear side of the hook is an arm, c, directedinwardly and curved at d.' and provided on its end with one or morerounded notches, c. Secured on therear side of the sin gletree in anysuitable manner are the metallic casings or boxes D, which are open attheir ends and longitudinally slotted at their outer ends, as at f. Eachhex is secured to the singletree by the screws g g and the ears andscrews g', as shown. As show n in Fig. 2,

the notched ends of arms c of thetrace-hooks` are adapted to enter theslots ff of the casings, and under the curved portions d of these armsare placed elastic blocks or springs E,

which are clamped and held between the outerends of the sides of thecasings.

The letter Vl designates a sliding lockingbar working within theopen-ended casing D and provided with a thumb-piece, h, at its inner endand a notched and rounded head or enlargement, z', on its outer end,this notched and headed end being adapted to engage the notched end ofthe trace-,hook arms, as shown in Fig. This bar is kept pressed normallyagainst the rear side of the casingD by means of a spring, j, and isguided and limited in its movementsby means of the aforesaid screws g,which pass through longitudinal slots in the har. One of thesesecuring-screws also serves to hold the springj in place. Theselockingbars F are drawn inwardly by means of the straps G, attached totheir inner ends and extending to within easy reach of the occupants ofthe vehicle, and are vforced outwardly into engagement with the innernotched ends of the arms c by means of the thu1nhpieces 7l.

lV hen it is desired to release or throw the traces (one of which isshown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) olf the hooks C, all that is necessaryfor the occupants of the vehicle to do is to pull simultaneously on thestraps G G, (which may be connected to one main strap, G.) This willdisengage the headst' of the locking-bars F from the inner notched endsof the arms c and release the trace-hooks. The instant the trace-hooksare released the draft on the same IOO in Figs. 3, ai, and 5 to theinner lower edges I of the thills. The holdback consists of theforwardlvprojeeting hook a', the perforated securing-ears b', and thehorizontalA cylinder or barrel c', all formed integral with a mainplate, d. rlhe forward end of the cylinder is open and terminates ashort distance forward oi' the end oi the hook a', leaving` a narrowthroat or passage, e, and the rear end of the cylinder is closed.Adapted to reciprocate within this cylinder is a spring-actuateil bolt,i j", provided with a thumb-piece, 7L', which latter works in a slot inthe under side of the cylinder. This bolt by its spring is kept pressednormally forward between the hook a and the main plate d, and is adaptedto hold the holdback-ring1 in place and prevent rattling' of the same.By this construction of holdbaek it will be observed that when thetraces are released and the horse moves for- Y,

ward the lioldback-ring1 will press the bolt f Aback in `its cylinderand allow the ringto slip l ont through the throat or passage e', thuscompletely disengaging or iiletaching the animal from the vehicle.

These devices are very simple and inexpensive in construction andpositive and reliable in operation, as will be observed, and willprevent or obviate disastrous and painful acl @idents duetofrightenedand unruly animals.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination ol' a sii'igletree, the trace-hooks pivoted to theends thereof and provided with the inwardly-extending arms, these armsbein g provided with curved notches on their inner ends, casings securedto the singletree, the sliding locking-bars, these bars being1 keptpressed normally against the top of the said casing' by means of aninclosed sp rin g', and the operating-straps, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination of the singletree, tracehooks C, pivoted in the endsthereof and constructed as described, the slotted casings, the elasticblocks E, the slotted sliding lockingbar, andthe spring j, substantiallyas described.

A holdback consisting' of the following' paris: a main plate, aforwardly-extending hook, a', formed integral with the main plate andextending' parallel therewith, a slotted cylinder formed integral withthe main plate and terminating near the forward end ot' the hook a',forming a throat, e', and a springactuated bolt working in said cylinderand adapted to close the said throat e, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Iaffix mysigiiature in presence of two witnesses.

HEZEKIAH LATSHA W.

Witnesses:

L. C. MGINTYRE, J. L. RIGELOW.

